Oblivious To Love
by Nejuke
Summary: Love had never even crossed Neji's mind, that is until Sasuke Uchiha transfers to Konoha High and soon the usually distant Uchiha finds himself falling in love with Neji too.


The summer breeze blew gently in through the open windows, filling the class room with the warm scent of cherry blossoms as it carried the laughter from outside like a small sailing boat. The translucent white curtains billowed lethargically, whispering to themselves amongst the breeze. Along the walls of the large square room hung various notices and photographs of students; boys in black trousers with tucked in white shirts whilst girls wore pleated green skirts and white shirts with kerchiefs. Behind them, the petals of various blossom trees scattered like pink snow and the tall white walls of the school building, its windows blue with the sky's reflection. Each face held a different smile.

The silence of the room was softly broken with the sound of a sliding door, the rattling of papers and the brisk clatter of a metal music stand. Two students then emerged from the hall, a young man and woman, their feet light against the panelled floor as they ventured in with hushed voices and gentle laughs. They moved towards the centre of the room, manoeuvring amongst the desks. The girl positioned the stand with the sheet music and took a seat from behind one of the desks before taking a seat. As she did, she pulled her skirt under herself before kneading out the creases. Whilst adjusting herself she indicated to the stand just in front of her with a timid smile, her pale lilac eyes glistening with warmth.

"Stand there." She whispered shyly, brushing back her long hair from over her shoulders as she did. "Please, Neji." She smiled gingerly as her cousin lingered by a desk further back, his hand delicately clasped around the handle of his violin case. Sighing heavily he undid the fastening of his case and produced the slim, walnut violin, his hand fastened around the black, glossed neck of the instrument as he walked closer to the stand. Positioning the cold wood underneath his chin he angled his arm and wrist, the bow resting between his slender fingers. He looked again to his cousin, her smile still tender and filled with encouragement as he set himself to play the first notes. Breathing deeply he closed his eyes and began to play, his notes lucid and slow in a series of minors and flats. With grace his bow stroked the strings of the violin lovingly with an inherited passion; occasionally a quick flick of the wrist would signal a raise in pitch, a quick kiss of string on string. Hinata watched as his body jerked as his notes hastened, his eyes still closed as a peaceful expression crossed his pallid face.

She watched silently as the sun slipped in through the window, dust catching fire as the rays soothed them. Slowly she closed her own eyes and rocked within her seat, her hands placed neatly upon her knees. Waiting for the right notes she parted her lips and began to sing, her voice resonating with the notes of the violin. Her voice was soft and flowing as her tongue tied words together with music. Emotion flowed from the two like a steady stream of water, their thoughts reflected within the growing symphony. As Neji conducted his final notes, the violin's voice dying slowly, Hinata stole herself a fading solo, her voice vanishing, a passing breath in the room.

Neji smiled to himself as Hinata's last syllables slipped from her lips in time with the concluding stroke of his wrist, both opening their eyes to return each other's placid gaze. As he lowered the violin, letting his arms fall to his side he allowed himself a deep breath of satisfaction and rested against the desk behind as his gaze drifted to the board at the head of the class.

"Lord Hiashi shall be impressed." He muttered passively to himself, though Hinata heard and gently laughed as she held her finger to her lip, a brush of blush sweeping across her cheeks. She then stood, brushing at her skirt again before pulling at her shirt tentatively. She folded her arms behind herself and smiled at her cousin, a twinkle of joy buried within her eyes.

"Accompany me with the piano next time." Neji Sighed as he made to put away his violin. She watched as he rested the smooth instrument, lowering its frame with slow deliberation into the case. His eyes scanned the strings as his finger traced the curve of the upper bout down to the waist. As he did Hinata made her way round to face him, crossing the desk slightly with her body she let her finger stroke the scroll of the violin hesitantly. She could never get along with her cousin but when they played, she felt she understood him more and he for her. He allowed her to slide her finger against the strings, gently plucking them to hear the abrupt vibratory noise. The polished surface was cold against her warm finger though she welcomed it; to her it reminded her of Neji. At the thought she smiled and retracted her hand, placing it again behind herself. Soon Neji closed the lid of the case and clasped the handle again in his hand, tighter this time, a cold frost freezing over his insipid eyes as he made to leave.

With an outstretched hand he took the music stand and left the room, his long hair trailing behind him as he turned sharply past the door. Hinata watched sadly as he left, again her finger to her lip. She breathed lightly, her eyes focusing to the place Neji had stood previously. She remembered the slight smile that caught and tugged at the corner of his mouth as he played, the happiness he felt, a small spark had remained in his eyes as he opened them at the close of his piece. She wondered why it was only then that they felt close. Casting the thoughts from her mind she arranged the desks and seat as they were as she crossed the floor over to the entrance. With a hand perched against the wood of the door she turned to look over her shoulder and smiled to herself as she looked beyond the window to two small blue birds nesting together.

Neji weaved his way past various students that littered the halls, become irate with the bodies which occasionally pressed against him though he slid past with elegance. The corridors, like white washed canals, were lined with panelled windows and sliding doors, many of which were open. Along many of the walls and doors were bulletin boards covered with pink sheets and notices for festivals; general school business. He could hear the scuffing of indoor shoes against the laminate floor as students ran past; boys racing after each other, calling back over their shoulders to those further back. As he passed many students bowed their heads in greeting and respect, however, he returned the gesture only to a select few. He kept his gaze fixed on the path ahead, never shifting his eyes to a familiar face; he wished to avoid any notion of beginning a conversation.

It wasn't long until he reached the auditorium. As he came to he placed the music stand by his side and opened the door to reveal the gloom inside, broken only by the three single rays of light that streamed in through the high windows. The light hit the varnished floor and by that light he could see faintly the edge of the grand piano which stood alone at the heart of the room. With a steady hand he reached for the switch, waiting patiently for the lights to flicker on.

The room was suddenly illuminated, the black sheen of the piano lid which stood propped open, reflected the light from its smoothed surface. Stacked chairs lay surrounding the piano, pushed tight against the wall, making the instrument seem larger; alone. Upon one of the stacks Neji placed his violin as he stepped further into the room towards the cupboard by the far end. The key was still inside the door, it just needed to be turned. From its end dangled a red ribbon and various charms which had sullied with time and neglect, though a single embellishment shone from within the cluster, a small golden bell. Inscribed upon it was a single character though Neji took little notice. Twisting the key he freed the latch and pulled open the cupboard door.

The smell of wood and paper drifted out like a nostalgic mist as he made note of all the instruments; guitars, flutes, cellos and various drums and brass. In the corner stood multiple black stands, some still adorned with music books. Once he had placed the stand with the rest and locked the music cupboard once again he turned to leave, though his eyes fell heavily upon the piano. It's ebony sheen and pristine bone white keys, not a single speck of dust invaded the piano's exterior surface. He let his fingers slide gently over the keys, playing various cords with a single hand, letting the notes fill the room. They echoed about the vast space encased within the four walls of the auditorium, softly, until he struck the keys with more force. His eyes fell below the piano to the bronze pedals beneath, each elaborated with scars and scratches.

The urge to take a seat and play surfaced at the back of his mind as a tune repeated itself within the back of his mind as invisible fingers worked across the board, tempting him to join them. Connected to those hands, a body; a fraction of a memory of someone he knew. A glimmer of a face appeared, shimmering as a smoke like veil seemed to billow against its skin, concealing its features. Just through the translucent cover two darks sockets rested; nothing but empty pits where caring eyes had once been. Neji shivered at the thought to the apparition's forehead where the mark glowed; the Manji. It was the only, clear feature upon the face, glowing with a jade hue. Feeling the weight in his chest grow, he cast the subconscious mirage aside and went to fetch his violin.

Closing the door behind him he turned to see a mass of students leering by the windows. Groups of girls stood on their toes, chiming to each other whilst the boys' merely looked on in curiosity, those outside stood still in awe and watched as two new figures walked through the gates. The crowd bustled for a closer look, some girls decided to open the sliding windows and peer outside, many male students chose to venture to the ground floor and meet outside. Once outside in the open courtyard the students were greeted with a hostile air. Many sunk back into themselves as the two beings waded through the empty yard, void of any students.

Curious of the sudden silence outside, Neji sailed down the stairs, his hand gliding slightly above the coarse banister before coming to rest by the main entrance doors. Whispers floated from various students as their eyes scanned the new comers. Neji, being towards the back had a poor vantage point so, without the notice of those around him, activated his Byakugan to focus his gaze. The world was cast in monochrome shade; pristine white, ashen greys and matt blacks, each sharply contrasting against the other. It was only seconds until he picked the two from the crowd and began to study them.

The first, presumably older, was much taller with lengthy black hair which lay tied loosely at his back. Sharpening his gaze Neji could see his face was decorated with two scars running from the brim of his nose to high cheek bones, equal in depth and length. His most predominant features however were his darkly stained eyes which bore out against his fair coloured skin. They scanned the watching faces; though dim as they were they shone with an unwavering kindness. A thin mouth, seemingly poised to smile, curved into a charming grin, revealing the upper row of white teeth. After examining the eldest arrival Neji's stare rested upon the youngest that attained the majority of the student's attention. He bared much resemblance to the eldest, though not as tall or well-built causing many to assume they were related, siblings perhaps.

An aura of pride and confidence radiated from his slender frame, his eyes, equally as dark stayed fixed to the path ahead, his attention undeterred by the massing crowd. His slender hand reached to his ear as he brushed back his ebony hair, tucking it neatly behind his ear as it lashed against his cheek. After, placing his hands within the depths of his trouser pockets he jostled his shoulder, rotating it in a circular motion till he adjusted the strap of his leather satchel, finally managing it further up his slender slopping shoulder. As his brother, taking larger steps gained distance between them both, Neji could sense that the stares of the students had become more intense upon the boy's slightly arching back. Slowly his own eyes travelled the spine towards the nape of the boy's thin neck until his eye caught on to a small black marking, just visible below his polo shirt to which on he could see due to his visual jutsu. As Neji honed his gaze towards the strange coloration he noticed the muscles of the boy's neck ripple as his head turned to look over his shoulder to the crowd behind.

Now Neji could see clearly his angular, gentle sloping jaw and how it connected delicately to his neck in a smooth curve, yet it was his eyes that finally caught Neji's full focus; glowing a dark crimson, no longer black. His eyes unmistakably the Sharingan. The harsh, cold gaze revealed a deep rooted hatred and bore into Neji's own visual jutsu, his mild gaze returned only by a menacing glare. Seconds passed as their eyes seemingly locked until the Sharingan dissolved, returning to an originally jet black state. The boy again faced his gaze and instead concentrated upon his brother's back as they both then disappeared into the main building of the school where many of the teacher's offices resided, only leaving behind gasps and hushed voices of admiration.

"Uchiha…"

Neji heard a student whisper; respect weighted in his tone as he looked on in the direction the two Uchiha had travelled. The name soon rang out as their excitement cultivated; female students giggled and bubbled as they huddled in their groups, fantasising over the youngest.

The crowd did not dissipate until the toll of the school bell rang out above their heads from the school tower, signalling the conclusion of lunch. Streams of white and black pooled into the school doors still with the slight hint of anticipation in their voices. Neji retracted his visual jutsu only to see Hinata ahead; he caught her engaged in conversation with two fellow female peers whom she knew. As he drew closer her gaze turned to him though he slipped past her with only a side glance.

Once the influx of students through the corridors had ceased and they had all returned to their classes their teachers began to file into the head of each room, prepared to give the planned lesson. Many placed their briefcases by their desks and laid out various papers, others simply picked up the small stud of chalk by the desk and began to write the objectives. Staring idly from his seat, Neji rested his chin in the palm of his hand whilst the other made work with a pen, his fingers twisting its slim frame whilst jotting down various notes as the class Sensei, Hatake, scrawled quotes from various literatures. As he spoke, his voice echoing with indolent passion his agile hands made quick work with the chalk and soon the board was almost white with calligraphy. Neji's eyes slowly traced the powdered letters, each joined with neat loops and quick flicks, his gaze fixated to the chalk dust that floated about the board as quotes were erased with a quick whip of the board rubber.

Many of the windows had been opened but he could still feel the heat creeping through his body. Placing his pen down her rolled the sleeves of his school jumper past his elbows, revealing his pastel flesh to the sun's rays and sighed as his eyes slowly lowered to his page. Trailing the faint lines marked on his page he let his mind drift and took up his pen again; tapping his finger to an inaudible beat he penned a layout for music and jotted down a bar of notes which soon turned into four. The song in his head soon dulled and vanished upon lulling chords; subconsciously forming a cadence. He left it alone and began to repeatedly drag his pen over the Treble Clef until the ink became too heavy upon the page; the pen slit through easily and stained the paper beneath to his irritation.

Letting a sigh slip from his lips he sat further back into his chair and diverted his attention again to Hatake Sensei who had now seated himself behind his desk, his face deep within a particular novel. At that moment the door slid open, rattling lightly as it was jostled to the side. Murmurs began to erupt from the students as they turned in their chairs, looking to the student who had entered, now stood by the front desk. Neji's eyes recognised the delicate features, the dark hair and angular face. Hatake Sensei, placing his book upon the table smiled to the class as he stood, walking around the desk to stand by the student's side. As he positioned himself the size of the boy was notable as he stood by Hatake Sensei; he was petit in every aspect. Standing firmly with his hands by his side his delicate mouth opened as he delivered his introduction.

"My name is…Sasuke Uchiha."


End file.
